The Birds

Among the less fortunate ensembles chronicled in 1960s British rock, the Birds endured repeated setbacks. Their standing placed them among the leading R&B outfits active in England throughout the middle of the decade, delivering a forceful and engaging approach comparable to the Who, the Yardbirds, or the Small Faces. Whereas countless other groups never reached the charts, the Birds linger faintly in the awareness of committed collectors and surface occasionally in reference works, although these mentions arise for mistaken causes. Attention usually centers on Ron Wood’s early membership before his subsequent moves to the Faces and the Rolling Stones, together with the group’s nearly identical name—distinct only in spelling—from an American act of far greater visibility. Their recorded legacy stays largely unfamiliar, limited to fewer than a dozen tracks. Ron Wood (guitar, harmonica, vocals), Tony Munroe (guitar, vocals), and Kim Gardner (bass) grew up within a single block of one another in West London’s Yiewsley district, alongside founding drummer Bob Langham (later replaced by Pete Hocking, also known as Pete McDaniels). While still in their teens they joined forces with lead singer Ali McKenzie to launch the band in 1964. Regular appearances at the local community center generated a devoted regional audience that enabled them to turn professional. The Thunderbirds name had to be abandoned because it duplicated that of Chris Farlowe’s backing group, prompting the switch to the Birds. Their hard-edged R&B style proved sufficiently distinctive to earn entry into a Ready, Steady, Go battle-of-the-bands competition. Although they did not win, the exposure secured a television slot that attracted Decca executives and produced the November 1964 single “You Don’t Love Me.” A second Decca release, “Leaving Here,” followed in early spring 1965 and also received airplay. Bookings at the time positioned the Birds ahead of the Pretty Things and the Tridents (the early Jeff Beck group) and alongside the Who on shared bills. Their loud, crunchy British rhythm-and-blues-derived rock aligned closely with the early Who, the Yardbirds, and the Kinks, suggesting imminent success. Instead, an unforeseen transatlantic development intervened in spring 1965 when the Los Angeles-based Byrds achieved their first U.S. hit. The newly launched British CBS label rush-released “Mr. Tambourine Man,” which quickly dominated the U.K. charts and left “Leaving Here” unsold on store shelves. When the Byrds toured England that summer, the Birds’ manager attempted legal recourse, but differing spellings rendered the action ineffective and both claims to the name appeared equally valid. A third Decca single appeared late in 1965, after which the relationship ended. The group moved to Reaction Records, initially billed as Birds Birds; however, release of their debut single “Say Those Magic Words” was postponed nearly a year by contractual complications. They also recorded a version of Pete Townshend’s “Run Run Run” featuring Wood’s biting guitar and McKenzie’s raw vocals, a performance that could have rivaled the Who’s chart momentum. In 1966 they contributed the Ron Wood/Tony Munroe composition “That’s All I Need” to the soundtrack of the horror film The Deadly Bees. Munroe departed soon afterward, and Wood exited in 1967, passing briefly through the Jeff Beck Group before joining the reconstituted (Small) Faces with Rod Stewart in 1969. Live accounts confirm that the Birds ranked among the stronger acts of their period, cultivating substantial audiences with polished vocals and a driving, abrasive guitar sound that stood close to the Small Faces and the Who. Their prospects may have improved or endured longer had they not been signed to a label already committed to the Small Faces and the Rolling Stones; the name conflict almost certainly prevented any breakthrough on the British charts and has since overshadowed their musical achievements.